Many consumer products involve electric motors or field windings that employ magnet wire carried by bobbins. Not surprisingly, thermal protection devices have become a mandatory, integral feature for most consumer products to guard against accidental overheating and fires. Traditional methods to connect thermal protectors to magnet wire involve splices to join the magnet wire to stranded lead wires which in turn are crimped or soldered to the thermal protector. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a thermal protector 12 includes receptacle portions 14 for receiving stripped ends 16 of lead wires 18. This arrangement complicates manufacturing, adds expense and is time-consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,913 is directed to a bobbin arrangement with a one-shot thermal protector. The bobbin arrangement is connected to terminal lead wire portions extending from the thermal protector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,265 is directed to a coil bobbin having contact receiving cavities extending into one of its flanges and integral binding posts for the wire extending from the flange. Electrical connections to the ends of the winding wire are made by inserting terminals into each of the terminal receiving cavities. Each terminal has an upper receptacle portion, which is dimensioned to receive the contact pin on an external conductor, and a conduct portion at its lower end for establishing contact with the coil wire.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,455 is directed to an electrical assembly for terminating magnet wire, having a housing and contact receiving cavities provided therein. Electrical connections to the ends of the winding magnet wire are made by inserting terminals into each of the terminal receiving cavities. The terminals include crimp connectors extending opposite the contact receiving cavities.
There is need in the art for an improved thermal protector that does not suffer from these shortcomings.